We Provided a Field Tour for the UBC Master of Sustainable Forest Management Students

There is no better classroom for learning about sustainable forest management than the forest itself. Last Sunday, students from the University of British Columbia’s Master of Sustainable Forest Management program joined the Creston Community Forest and Yaqan Nukiy members for a guided field tour and an opportunity to explore some of the realities, challenges and opportunities of working in forestry.

Leading the discussion for the Creston Community Forest were Elissa and Erich, who both worked directly on these projects. Drawing from their hands-on experience, they shared not only the technical aspects of the projects but also their experiences working on the ground that go into managing forests for multiple values.

They gave a background to the community forest and discussed topics which they believed to be relevant to students beginning their career in forestry, discussion included; wildfire risk reduction surrounding communities, the balance between multiple values in forest management, our upcoming study on biochar for forest regeneration as well as challenges and obstacles faced in commercial logging operations.

The students were very engaged and had many great questions, we were very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with them and to collaborate with Yaqan Nukiy.

One of three pillars for the Creston Community Forest and an important part of our work is providing educational opportunities to get out into the forest. Seeing projects firsthand, asking questions on site and discussing why particular forest management decisions are made can add an entirely different perspective to classroom learning.

We are grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Yaqan Nukiy members and welcome the UBC students. Sharing knowledge, creating hands-on learning opportunities and encouraging conversations about the future of our forests are an important part of what we do.